Rob, there has been a proposed bill that passed the US Senate last year, and that the President would sign. It was sponsored by a bi-partisan group that includes several Republicans who are widely recognized for being very conservative, including Lindsay Graham, John McCain, Jeff Flake and Marco Rubio. A summary of the bill can be found here:
http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/spe...migration-bill
Now here is something in the bill that should assuage those who claim our borders are not secure:
"For example, although undocumented immigrants will be allowed to register for the new Registered Provisional Immigrant (RPI) program almost immediately,
before those in RPI status can apply to become lawful permanent residents the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) must certify that the Comprehensive Southern Border Security Strategy is deployed and operational, 700 miles of fencing is complete, 38,405 border patrol agents are deployed, and the E-Verify employment verification system is in place, among other requirements" (emphasis added)
So there has been careful consideration of all aspects of the problem, yet this Senate version has languished and will never pass because of these nutjobs in the House who claim it is not tough enough on border security. I was not kidding in an earlier post when I said these tools insist on an entire border fence and the deportation of literally 10 million people who have been here a decade or more. They think they're getting the great wall of China-- considered a wonder of the world in large part because of the immense cost in both financial and human resources; instead they will get the Berlin Wall, an emblem of shame, and will pay more than $100 Billion to build and maintain it. They ignore that their own side- Gingrich, Pres. Bush and others, acknowledge that there is no way we will ever deport the millions who have been here for decades. And then they spin it through faux news that it is the President who is uncompromising, when there has never been a more uncompromising political group in US history than the teabaggers--look at the number of fillibusters and delayed presidential appointments during Obama's term in office vis-a-vis any other President--it isn't even close.
So you can continue to hope for an exchange of dialogue as somehow refreshing as opposed to people who sit and do nothing--- but please have the good sense to see who it is that is doing nothing.